October, here we come

Congratulations to all of you and thanks for everyone’s support this season. It’s been an interesting one, to say the least, with ups and downs just like each year. But only eight teams will be playing past Sunday and the Dodgers are one of them. That’s got to feel pretty good. In fact, in the last five years, only the Cardinals and Dodgers have reached the postseason three times. But this is just the first step. Here’s to a lot more celebrations this month!

267 Comments

Smart move to rest Martin. Interesting to see Stults – could this be an audition for him? Not crazy about seeing Kent at 2B – thought he would be just hitting. I suppose this gives him additional reps at the plate.

odd lineup. i knew russell would be the first to sit. i’m fine with that. he’ll play over the weekend in bits i’m sure. i just want to make sure everyone stays sharp, and that we don’t forget how to win..

What a great opportunity to give Kent and Furcal a chance to see how they do in a real game, and I agree with something Max posted earlier about going after Peavy. Joe and his staff need to keep the winning thoughts and not let the team relax too much. However, no need to risk any silly injuries. Go Dodgers!

Congratulations Dodgers on winning the division championship………we knew you could do it! Now, let’s win this game tonight to put icing on the cake!! Spesking of cake, I’m going to get a cupcake right now to celebrate!!!

crash, it may be an audition for stults. particularly if we’re playing the mets for the first round.. also, continuing our convo from the last thread, i have tickets to both events so i’ll have to see what time the dodger game gets set for.. the last time there was a conflict was in 2004, and i had tickets to both sc football and dodgers that time too, and they moved the dodger game to ensure that it didn’t conflict with sc football to limit traffic issues and to make sure people could attend both.. so i have my fingers crossed that they’ll do that again!!

Josh- you are so welcome. We all support you as much as the team. So if you are on the team, you need a jersey number for sure!
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What a lineup. Wow. I am soo ready for Dodger baseball.
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dnel- thank you for the info on the last thread! I too hope the east teams are more fatigued than the rest!
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Russy can get a night off I suppose. I cannot wait to cheer for Raffy as lead off!!
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Can I say it again – WAY TO GO DODGERS!!!! NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST DIVISION CHAMPS!!!!
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It is great to see Raffy in the lineup – just super!!!!! I hope we will get to see all the Dodgers play tonight that made this happen.
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GO DODGERS!!!
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Now I get to go home and just smile at my gnat fan son and instead of saying “standings,” I can proudly say “Division Champs” – so fun!!!!

AAAHHHHHHHHH WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NL WEST CHAAAAMMPPPPPPPSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow this is great!! i found out while i was in my spanish class (taking a test) and i think i did really bad on my test cause i couldn’t think about anything but the DODGERS BEING NL WEST CHAMPS!!! haha! man i can’t wait to go to tonight’s game!! although it would have been cool if the games could have been at the same time so i could’ve been at the game while we became the champs!! but those stinkin D-backs can’t do anything right….. haha!!!

I am heading out to early dinner with a friend (margarita for sure), watch my son pitch wearing #16, and then home. I will catch up later during the game. Have a great time at the game if you are going!!
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GO DODGERS!!!!!!!
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deb, dnelly, June Darlin’, Junie, miss debbie, mom, Mrs. Nelson, nelle, nells, nelly and nellygirl – Ethieraholic and loving this feeling that our boys are playing in October – fantastic!!!!

I am glad that Kent and Furcal are getting a chance. I do not think that Kent’s knee can handle it, but he deserves a chance to try, it might be his last shot at the playoffs. If Furcal can field at all he would be better hitter than Ozuna even if his hitting is only at 70%.

I will DeWitt was getting to play 3rd base, the kid can use every inning he can get.

oh wow… you could have told us this day would come two months ago and we would have laughed at you but wow… WERE FREAKEN DIVISION CHAMPS. I love this team… cant wait till tuesday… ill be at game three of the NLDS!!!!

DNELL, TRU, AMY, ACARDONA…what is this about the cupcakes….making me hungry?
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Josh thanks for everything!
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DODGERS CONGRATULATIONS…YOU DID IT!
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The line up is great…we won…so it’s great. Martin deserves the day off and love my Manny but he does need a day off aswell, but yeah alternate the TOP DAWGS!

Rose- we are together on the enthusiasm. Today is a great day. I think the lucky number is 25. I know it’s Andruw’s number, boo, but today we will go with 25.
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I’m born on the 25th day of the month and so was my dad. Clayton Kershaw’s first game was on May 25, 2008. And the Dodgers clinch to division on Sept 25, 2008. It’s perfect.
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Go dodgers!!!

Amy…well 25 is a lucky number, even if it was Andruw’s number…now we were lucky number #25 DID NOT have alot of playing time or either we would NOT WON!..
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Parking is expensive….I wouldn’t mind the hike..it’s worth it for my Dodgers…I could eat more cupcakes if I hike….

For a team that has just clinched the N.L.West, this afternoon, this is quite a line-up.
Six that have homers in the double digits and one of our better hitting pitchers.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m going to just relax and ENJOY these next four games.
Although I said it a number of times already,
CONGRATULATIONS DODGERS!!!!

Hi Amy, everything’s good, just over here celebrating my gf’s mom’s b-day (she just got off work). And in case anyone is wondering, St. Pauli’s Girl is a german beer, I’m not saying anything dirty,heh.

Glad you are well. Drinking beer and stuff.
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My closest co workers are Japanese, so anytime I have something in Japanese I have them read it for me and translate :)
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I see today is the big day! You’ve been preparing for this birthday for awhile. Shopping for it at least. Enjoy.
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Rose. you are right. Anything for the Dodgers.
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Sara- Sunday Oct. 4th will be a wonderful day :)
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WELL PEOPLE GOING TO TONIGHTS GAME HAVE A BLAST OF A TIME, DON’T FORGET YOUR CALENDAR…and hey If you have an extra hey I want one….SCREAM SO LOUD THAT PEOPLE IN SAN DIEGO, SAN FRANCISO, & ARIZONA CAN HEAR YOU
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P.S. DO NOT DRINK A DRIVE – TAKE THE TROLLEY :)

I came in here three months ago telling everyone here that Rafael Furcal was finished. Well… I’m eating my words tonight… but I’m still skeptical for the remainder of his career. Can or will he ever be the same player he was before his injury? Only time will tell. But if he can fully recover from the injury and surgery… well… he’ll be a freak of nature for certain! I just hope he stays healthy enough to help the team AT LEAST coming off the bench for the playoffs. However, if he proves strong enough and can hit the ball here during the last few games… then by all means… play him at the shortstop position, and bat him leadoff during the playoffs!! But get ready to pull him at the first sign of injury… because he’ll need all of the off season to have a legitimate shot at full recovery.

I’m truly happy to see the man out on the field. What a tremendous boost to the club emotionally just to have him available off the bench… and what a plus if he can actually contribute on the field of play as well. This is an immense addition and the timing couldn’t be better!!

I have tix to see the Dodgers play the Gnats up here in SF tomorrow, and do you think I’m sad that they already clinched it so that I’ll see more of the backups tomorrow? Not at all! :-) Much better this than have to sweat through teh chance the Giants knock them out. Still, I would love to see the Dodgers beat the Giants anyway. Good chance to keep some momentum going.

Will be cool to see Raffy and I’ll be crossing my fingers he does well this weekend. Appreciate Berroa’s contributions but Furcal would be a major upgrade if healthy. See some of you in SF tomorrow in a more relaxed atmosphere. Go Dodgers!

So, now that the threat of jinxing the clincher is gone, who would everyone like to face first in the playoffs, PHI, CHI or NYM (slim chance, but they’re 1.5 back last I checked)?

Me, well, maybe I’m tempting fate, but I wouldn’t mind facing PHI or NY if they’re having to do Doubleheaders and making up rainouts. I like the bandbox-of-a-ballpark that Wrigley is, but I wouldn’t mind the Cubs working a little harder before we face ‘em.

Congratulations to the Dodgers! What an accomplishment considering all of the injuries and ups and downs during the season. Of course Manny made a big difference, but they all deserve a lot of credit for hanging in there never giving up. It’s been awesome to see Andre finally get the credit he deserves and be a big part of the success of team. All the young guys have done a fantastic job and the future is bright. Think of our young core of Andre, Matt, James, Russ and Dewitt paired up with a pitching staff that includes Bills, Broxton, Kershaw, Wade, Elbert, McDonald, etc. Could be a dynasty for many years to come, especially if we resign Manny and possibly Furcal, if he would agree to a one year deal to see if he’s fully healty.

It would have been cool to clinch during tonight’s game, but I’m glad it’s already a done deal. With Peavy pitching tonight and the Giants coming up, now nothing is left to chance.

northstate, any of the potential will be tough for the Dodgers and any of them are winnable. If I had to pick, I’d like them to face the Mets because they are clearly the most flawed team of the bunch — but they may be so flawed they won’t even make the playoffs, which is how it’s starting to look. So as far as matchups, Mets would be top choice, Cubs would be my least favorite/most worrisome, but even th mighty cubs are certainly vulnerable. The Phillies: The Dodgers took care of them in LA, but the Phils returned the favor in Philly. That one would not be easy either. But would also be a very entertaining series, I think. We shall see!

thanks for believing in my trojans trublue! we will come back.. it’s ugly right now.. i’m just stopping by to check in before the dodger game starts.. but i’ll be away focusing on the trojan comeback now! see ya’ll later!

Congrats to the Dodger Organization. Torre is finally going to have a winning season in the National League. Glad Furcal and Kent back. If they stay healthy and can play average or better, we will win the National League and go to the World Series.

I posted in April about my trip to Phoenix and watching a lack-luster performance and got my nose rubbed in it by my D-back loving family.
Well… looks like we get the last laugh. Nat’l League West Champions has nice ring to it.

Sorry. Nothing personal sara. I do like their football program. Beavers last touchdown was blind luck. Talk about stepping in s**t, and coming out smelling like a rose. Looks like the defense just showed up. I hope they come back to win.

Dodgers stink they only clinched because the r in the weakest division in baseball. However the best team in baseball the ANGELS clinched because they r so much better than the LA DODGERS :( . They will go ALL THE WAY!

Wally – last night was bad enough, but I guess it might get worse before it gets better – unbelievable!!!!!! Hey, if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have become Wally, Beav, Ward Dear, and June Darlin’ :) “they” are what started this madness if you recall.

I hope they go all the way to the championship sara. Out of curiosity, does your car have one of those stickers? You know; ‘My two favorite teams are USC, and whoever plays UCLA that day?’ Those were abundant when I lived out there.

sl The Rays are a great story this year with their tremendous turn around with all their own homegrown talent. Great home record, but I don’t think they have the pitching depth to go far into the playoffs. Although they did do well against the Red Sox, and Angels this season, the playoffs are another story.

jhall ~ Glad to hear it! My day was a great day also!!! I fed my class blue and white Dodger M&M’s all day – two at a time(one of each color), every 20 minutes or so during the dbacks game. Didn’t matter if they were in my class or not, if they were in the room, the got the two M&M’s. Also, one of my students came up with a song for Andre yesterday, and today she wrote it out – very sweet and cute!!! A future ITD songwriter for sure. Well, she’s not future technically – Eric posted it on Dodgerlyrics. It was a great day – they all went home knowing the Dodgers won the division, with a Dodger blue and white sugar high to go with it… :)

vl4ecc, i don’t have one of those stickers.. i care more about our wins than ucla losses.. i’m not as big of a ucla hater as many others.. i mean i hate them, but not as much as other ‘sc people.. i do have a usc alumni license plate frame, and two usc stickers (one on the front windshield, and one on the back) :)

wow, bummer about USC. Hoping they’d have a chance for the National Title, and they still kinda do, but it depends on how the other teams do now. And you can’t count on the Bumbling Computer System for anything. Sorry Sara :( If this year is anything like last year, though, it’s not out of the question for the Trojans to climb up again. It’s just a lot tougher now.

It was good, Dnelly, we celebrated my gf’s mom’s birthday today, had some fajitas and St. Pauli’s Girl beer, some chocolate cake, and generally enjoying the Dodgers clinching the division!

Have a new book to read in my American Authors class, Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich. Seems like a good one so far, I’m enjoying it. Books are a lot easier to read when they don’t have stream-of-consciousness rants on the Trotsky and Stalin randomly interrupting the story.

Seems like you had a lot of fun today at class :) I wish I had a teacher like you in elementary school, and I was a quiet kid, sure you would’ve liked that, heh.

Sounds yummy and great once again nsblues ~ you are quite the hospitality person. When you mentioned St.Paulie Girl earlier, I knew exactly what you were talking about. When I was living in the dorms at Sac State, there was a guy that drank that stuff all the time.

I wish I had a teacher like you in first grade. I had a mean old hag for a first grade teacher. I know it doesn’t matter, but I wanted us to go undefeated the rest of the season. I know Torre took the starters out early to prevent injury, but I want to sweep the Pads.

nsblues – I really had fun today. It was kind of like fun Friday on a Thursday. Fun Fridays are usually filled with art and fun activities. I switched the two days because I am leaving at lunch time tomorrow. It just so happened that the Dodgers won the division today too, so it worked out well. Tomorrow will still be fun,but with a sub, I try to keep things as routine as possible.
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GO DODGERS!!!

I could’ve won some money on this game if I had betted on it.
But the only reason I picked the Padres was because of Peavy pitching.
Peavy did win the game but not the way I expected.
I wish MLB.TV could have shown “Dodger Live” at least just for tonight. Although I saw a little of the celebration.
But it’s great to win another division title.
I hope we could do it every year, for a while, from now on.

Yes, that would be fun if they did get some of the champagne sprayed on them – what fun!!!! I got goosebumps just watching on tv – who would’ve thought seeing how this season started out. There’s a long way to go, but this is one hell of a start…

My girlfriend took some pics of me while I listened to the end of the STL-ARI game, in my Jackie jersey standing up and jumping around. She got a kick outta my reaction, especially since it involved a game that didn’t physically involve the Dodgers. Today has been a crazy day for sure.

Yeah, Charley was talking about being 7 back on April 22nd. I forgot about that. I think that explains how crazy this season has been. Of course, I might just be forgetful.

Ward Dear….. Are you around? Still in shock,perhaps?-lol!!…. I feel like it is kind of like being on a very long rollercoaster ride with so many hills and wicked turns that has finally come to a stop for a short time anyhow. What a ride’s it’s been so far….

What envelope? :) LOL!!
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Ward Dear… Honestly, it was one of the best teaching days I had up until just yesterday with the Andre song. I am finding out that this may not be the smartest group, but boy! are they creative – from writing to artwork. Maybe there is something to all the talking and why they are so creative. The students had a lot of fun doing that one, and like I said, the name had them sold – Dodgereric and Andre all day long – too funny!! And then this afternoon when they saw the e-mail – they were so happy!!!

Nothing beats great kids!
Ethier is rockin’!
Loney is a winner!
Losing is the pits!
You gotta believe!
Super season for the Boys in Blue!
Kent needs to go out in style – with a Ring!
I love the Dodgers!
Don’t you just love first place?!
Start making plans for the playoffs!
Aren’t cupcakes great?!
Russell Martin needs a “C”
Everyone needs to be as positive as PierreEMW!
Tomorrow the Gnats go DOWN!
Hope Billz gets some rest
Enchanted needs to write 3 more songs!
Blake DeWitt has earned a starting spot again!
Elevate your play, Dodgers!
Stupid Angel fans have nothing better to do, I guess!
The World Series is there for the taking!
!!!!!LISTEN TO MISS DEBBIE, KIDS!!!!!

Justin from Brooklyn – I am of no help to you. I may not live in New York, but I live in nor-cal, in which it might as well be in New York. They won’t show Dodger stuff unless it’s Giants/Dodgers rivalry stuff or a game. I am thinking youtube is going to be the only outlet for those not living in the area.

If I can think of something original in a song for them, I’ll do one. Chris loves that poster, she thinks it’s very nice. She started rooting around in our closet looking for more stuff to send you! LOL! I have a scrapbook that I put together in ’62 when I was 9. I think it was to help get my Wolf Badge in the Cub Scouts. It’s a bunch of newspaper articles from spring training. It’s evident that I was trying to be an Angel fan, as there’s a lot of their stuff in there too. There’s a Tommy Davis rookie card glued to one of the pages! I don’t know if they’d be interested in something like that or not.

Congratulations Western Division Champs. What an exciting night. The game was so so but it was post game activities that made it all worthwhile. The game has been sold out. I had given away tickets since I purchased too many accidentally and was told that they were going for more than $160 just for field level tickets. Yikes! I never sell tickets. The festivities after the game was shared with the fans. Some of the guys including Russell came running out on the field with the bubbly spraying all of us. Casey and Joe Torre came out and shook hands with many of us. It was so exciting. I can’t wait for postseason! The fans who left early missed the fun.

Dnelly, I enjoyed the post game celebration so much but something happened before the game that really touched me. Matty came over to talk to some of us. He’s always friendly. I saw Andre who walked over to us as well and started to sign some autographs. He looked up at me (of course I came prepared with a ball) and I noticed a look in his eyes that he remembered me. He gave me the most wonderful smile that totally melted my heart and said “Hi” He is the nicest nicest guy. : ) He sure knows how to make a girl’s day.

Congrats to the Dodgers…they have had us all on an emotional roller coaster…..But they did it. I have to give props to Ned (I know), he made the Blake trade that I did not see the value until I got to see Casey play everyday. he is a true professional. He also got us Manny and that was the golden goose. I really doubt Frank will pony up the 100 mil that it is going to take to get Manny, but it has been a great 50 plus games. Thank you Manny!!!!

As for the negative, how about the big baby Penny disappearing and not saying goodbye to management. I have no problem with him wanting to go home, but have the respect to tell management!!! He just validated what I have thought of him since day 1….He is a big freaking, whiney, selfish, buffoon of a man! With 9 mil we should be able to get a real ace not a wannabe!

Good riddance Penny…you will not be missed!!!

Lets go Dodgers..thank you Joe for finally going with Andre .300 hitter Ethier…He is a stud!!! Kemp has grown into a fine all around player and he will only get better…Wade was a godsend, as was Dewitt(I love the way he plays). Martin was not spectacular but he is the heart of this team. Next year he will rock offensively….

xox, that story is music to the ears of any old cynical sportsfan who has been bombarded by stories of the prototypical spoiled “what’s in it for me” athlete. It’s great to hear from people like you and Emma and amy and sara and anyone else who actually gets to meet some of our guys. Thanks for helping to bring humanity back into the sports world.

And thanks to Russell and Andre and even that famous old curmudgeon Jeff for taking the time to connect with us.

Good morning Eric ~ I’m still so excited that we won, I could barely sleep last night …………it will be intersting to see who Joe keeps on the roster………will he go for pitching or the clutch pinch hit? I still want to beat the crap out of the Giants this weekend in their own ballpark. Have a good day.

Good Morning, ITD writers and reader!!!
What a wonderful day it is to be a Dodger Fan, especially those of us who have been on this roller coaster ride since day one. It was a wild and crazy one too. I realize we still have a long road ahead, but this is a very nice stop along the way.
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xoxrussell ~ I got to see a portion of the post game celebration, but thank you for sharing all that you got to experience. I did get to see them come back on the field, and it was great to see. I am so glad you got to see Andre. He has been absolutely incredible this month on top of becoming a daddy. I am sure he will remember this September 2008 very well.
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Good Morning Dodgereric/Ward Dear…. I still never got my computer to allow me to come on here until this morning. I guess it was just tired and telling me to go to bed perhaps. Thank you for all you do….. you are a true blessing to this ITD board, and for that I am truly grateful to be a part of it.

Awesome to see Ferk actually playing again. I honestly think that we’ll resign him to a 1-year incentive laden contract and let him have a rehabilative year for another run at FA in 2010.

Hope Frank makes enough playoff money to re-sign Manny. I wasn’t a believer when they got him, but I have seen the light. Scary to think what he might do in the playoffs if he’s actually able to turn it up a notch.

Best guess if they can’t/won’t sign Manny – we see Fanny in center next year, and go after Holliday for 2010. After 2009 we’ll lose both Fanny’s and Schidt’s contracts, which will open up some payroll.

I also think JP’s found his niche as an off the bench fill-in. Anyone recall when he was just a spot starter early in the year how much more effective he was with the stick? He’s seems to be that way again. Its when he starts as a regular his total suckage emerges.

Sweeney… what can you say when you see he has a bat in his hands but, OH ****!!! Unfreakinbelievable he’s still the #1 PH. I’ve no doubt idiot Joe will PH him in every game and critical situation that arises in the playoffs.

I’d give the D’s a 50/50 chance with the Phils, and a 40/60 chance with the Cubs.

At least I’m hoping that your initial statement was a “Blazing Saddles” reference. If it wasn’t……oops. :-)

Agree totally on Ferc. It was like a dream come true to see him out there, and I liked the way he looked out there. We can only pray that he’s OK.

Assuming that we’re going to buy out Penny, Lowe asks for too long of a contract, Kent and Nomar retire/otherwise depart, that should be more than enough money to turn around and hand Manny. The only way we should lose him is that someone else gives him CRAZY money. Anything else should lead to an open revolt.

If we lose Manny (please no), and Ferc is OK (please yes), we could do worse (I can’t believe I’m about to say this) than put Pierre in left and bat him in the 2 hole. I know it was only 12 games, but he hit .422 with a .492 OBP! That would be better than Jones, unless he has a resurrection.

Sweeney. It’s amazing how much face time he got last night. He seems to be a leader in the clubhouse. The guys seem to like him. BUT HE’S HITTING .132! HE GOT A HIT IN HIS FIRST AT-BAT THIS SEASON AND EVER SINCE HE WENT HITLESS IN HIS NEXT 17 APPEARANCES, HIS AVERAGE HAS NOT RISEN ABOVE .154!!! THAT’S .154!!! MAKE HIM A COACH IF YOU WANT TO KEEP HIM AROUND BUT NOT IN ANY PLAYOFF GAMES!!!!!!! ARRRGGGGGGG!!!!!! DEREK LOWE’S CAREER BATTING AVERAGE IS .125!!! USE HIM INSTEAD AND SAVE THE ROSTER SPOT!!!!!

good morning world.
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I couldn’t sleep last night. too much adrenaline. I am so happy for our guys. It warms my hear to see them so happy and celebrating with the fans. It was a beautiful night full of a lot of surprises :)
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No calendar :( just a tee shirt that is 10 sizes too big for me!
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I can’t wait til the playoffs!
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GO Blue!
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Eric- it was fantastic seeing Raffy last night. I hope he comes back super strong next year as a Dodger :)

Wow… now we’ve punched our ticket for a chance at October, and get to play 3 games against the Jints! I half felt those last 3 games on the schedule were a trap waiting for the Dodgers all year, but half felt it would be nice to celebrate in their house again. But either way, now the Jints are irrelevant. I bet the SF fans LOVE that feeling.

It’s like Sarah to Jareth in Labyrinth (now THAT’S an old school reference), “You have no power over me! YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME!”

For those of you who didn’t get to see the costumes or much of the celebration last night, please check out the Photo Gallery in Yahoo Sports. There’s a fair amount of pix posted. And yes, they’re priceless!

Here’s a video of Kershaw as Little Bo Peep, also a quick shot of Kuroda as a pimp and if you look carefully during the Kershaw interview, you’ll see who I think is James McDonald as a clown. The link is to a story defending Torre against the crybaby Steinbrenner. If you scroll down just a little and look to the right side, you’ll see a box titled “Fox Sports MLB video” and “Dodgers in drag”.

I am leaving for the weekend up into the mountains with no communication. Have a wonderful weekend, and I would hope our Dodgers beat the gnats a couple times this weekend. I am so happy to go up there knowing the Dodgers have won the division. I ordered my shirt last night – I am so very proud of this team. Have an Ethieriffic weekend!!!!!!
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GO DODGER BLUE ~ WE LOVE YOU!!!
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deb, dnelly, June Darlin’, Junie, Miss Debbie, mom, Mrs. Nelson, nelle, nells, nellygirl and nellyjune ~ ETHIERAHOLIC and just in awe of the fabulous Dodger team. :)

Hey Kahli! I think Brox is the closer regardless unless Saito’s lights out in SF. Kersh’s biggest woes usually happen in the first inning he pitches, so I don’t see him as a closer, though maybe a situational lefthander if you need a K.

Saito scares me because HE doesn’t believe he can do the job right now. It will be Broxton closing but, my oh my, he frightens me! With games 3 & 4 at home, got a feeling Torre is gonna hand the ball to Maddox in game 3. Experience, etc. If the Dodgers are down 2-1 in games, would you give the ball to Lowe on three days rest for game 4? Torre says no, but………

I really like what Wade had done. I think he is the one pitcher, who when he comes in, you don’t have to hold your breath and pray. Brox is doing a little better each time out and, I hope Saito can pitch one or two innings when necessary. Park I’m really not sure about….you never know wat he will do.

Tough call eric. I’m gonna sound like Joe on this (yuk – that’s like steppin’ in a dog terd with bare feet), but if Kuroda has a good outing in SF, I give the ball to him in game 3 because of his experience. He also seems to do great after an extra day or three of rest.

I watched the whole celebration on TV after last night’s game because I was curious how things would go. While I expected the usual spilling of spirits and such, this celebration was way over the top. The players really got into it and showed a lot of emotion even while realizing there is still a lot of unfinished business. There was a sense of relief and a sense of accomplishment to be on top after such a roller coaster season with all the injuries, roster moves and the grind of a long season. As of August 30, who really expected the Dodgers to win the division?

But the best part and what I hoped would happen was when some of the players came back on the field to celebrate with the fans, spraying them with champagne, slapping hands and thanking the fans. It was great. And seeing the rookies dressed in trashy costumes really was over the top. They are all good sports.

As for Kershaw, I did not see him drinking anything but more than one person mentioned they would have to be careful since he is not yet 21. The only person I did not see interviewed on TV that I would have like to see was Jeff Kent. I am not sure if he was still there but they never showed him. I also was a bit amazed at how small the player locker area looked on TV.

I was at the game last night, i sat in the left field pavilion up against the chainly fence. Just infront of the security guards, they are the guards that keep people hanging around to the stairway trying to get the pitchers attention.
but anyways it was a real electrifiying experience to be at the ball park yesterday, the crow was going wild all night. I i was impressed that fights did not break out, everyone ws cool. I got a chance to see McCourt and Tommy they walk through the pavillion shaking the fans hands. I also witness McDonald carrying a pink back pack in the dodger doguout. And for those who where at the park. Did any one witness that girl that tumble over the leftfield wall by the foul pole; fell in the playing field got up and ran after the ball. She then picked up the ball, as she did security tackle her and body slamed her onto the ground? That was brutal. She was escorted through the dodger dougout.
That was so funny, but brutal. Had a great time.

Sep 25 Dylan Hernandez, of the Los Angeles Times, reports Los Angeles Dodgers P Hong-Chih Kuo (elbow) said he is willing to risk damage to his elbow if he has a chance to pitch in the World Series this year. However, trainer Stan Conte said he will not let Kuo potentially end his career. The team remains concerned whether Kuo will be able to withstand multiple outings over short periods of time next season

Sep 26 The Associated Press reports Milwaukee Brewers RP Eric Gagne bought 5,000 unsold tickets to the game Thursday, Sept. 25, and gave them away on the team’s Web site. They were gone in 20 minutes.

Sep 25 RHP Eric Gagne, who has been booed heavily much of the season at home after pitching his way out of the closer’s role in May, donated 5,000 tickets to be given away for the game Thursday night against Pittsburgh. Those tickets were snapped up online in 20 minutes. Gagne said he heard talk on the radio about the ballpark not being full despite the Brewers being in the thick of the NL wild-card race and wanted to do something about it.

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